Leave Nothing

Nike's slogan 'Leave Nothing' was appropriate today as we closed our week-long mission trip in Cali, Colombia. Staying with our tradition of late nights, we depart for the airport in less than 4 hours for our 8:30 AM flight to Miami, and connection home to Texas.

The Victory Celebration, which brings together new "hermanos and hermanas en Cristo" from the 16 churches in Cali our 30-member group helped strengthen, was a "grande fiesta" as Matt likes to say, tonight. We had more than 650 in attendance, when it was announced our group had 4,075 Gospel presentations and 2,370 professions of faith in our four days in the field.

Staggering but equally saddening, realizing that many of us will share Jesus with someone maybe once in the next six months when returning to the States. Maybe once in the next year.

We went straight to the Celebration from the Colombian National Police Field Training Center in South Cali. It was there where we had a divine appointment (on our scheduled off day) with 50 members of the nation's Special Forces: stating our purpose in Colombia this week and presenting the Gospel to a circle of policia who spend their days battling drugs and guerillas in the area.

If you don't ask, you don't get the invitation, right? A key lieutenant from Special Forces picked up me and Matt, a fellow team member (Bill) and two translators (Samuel and Adrian) from our hotel ... and the rest was the Holy Spirit again directing our meeting. It was the first time in two mission trips that our "best 5 minutes" was a shared experience ... Matt and I had never been together before in the field.

What a cool new tradition.

Our presentation included my translator for the week, Samuel, a pastor in the area and former drug dealer/bodyguard for Pablo Escobar, sharing his testimony. Samuel (one of the most humble servants I've ever met) asked for forgiveness from the policia -- a group that he told he once hated. It was the "best 5 minutes of his life" he later said, followed by another "best 5 minutes of his life" at the Celebration, when he asked forgiveness from the 30 of us North Americans ... here we are in Colombia sharing Jesus and he had spent much of his life funneling drugs and weapons into the States from Colombia.

Samuel said tonight as we said "ciao/goodbye" that he is now free for the first time in his life. Getting the movie rights to his life might be a good idea right now, but Matt and I agree his story is far from complete.

When we were ready to pray, we asked any of the policia to step out and to walk to the center of the meeting space if they were bold enough and ready to choose a life finally directed by Jesus. 2 came forward of the 50. We knew our God was bigger than this. 5 more came. Then 10 more. When we began praying, 45 policia were gathered in the middle of the room, knowing they now had the biggest protector and comforter they could ever possess on their team.

We later prayed in a circle around the lieutenant, as he was mourning the recent death of seven of his policia and was seeking relief and peace from the tragedies that are always at risk within his rank. (Sorry Lisa ... Lt. Pedroza now owns my cross necklace.)

It was the first time Matt had watched me share the Gospel, and the first time I witnessed Matt explain that once you accept Jesus, you are a new creation (2 Corin. 5:17). He encouraged the policia to grow in their faith since they were baby Christians and would now be filled with tons of questions while studying God's word.

The pastor and his family from the 1st church my team helped strengthen this week, Iglesia Pan La Vida, were also at the meeting. Pastor Ciro, his wife Pilar and daughter Adriana, circulated materials to the policia equipping them to each grow in their faith. The church hosts Bible studies throughout the week for members of the policia; two policia lunched with us on Monday prompting my request to present to the group.

Maybe the best 5 minutes ... of our lifetimes.

Can't wait to see what God will do to top this. It just might be tomorrow if I keep my eyes open to his wonder, splendor and awesome power. After today, I believe more than ever He can accomplish the impossible.

Dave